Toy structural material



A ril 25, 1939. HOWARD 2,156,155

TOY STRUCTURAL MATERIAL Original Filed Nov. 23, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet l nIZZWZZW m f/Mmrd 4 4 /1 April 25, 1939. HOWARD 2,156,155

TOY S TRUCTURAL MATER IAL Original Filed Nov. 25, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2& g fizz W570? 4y Jim 14 mm:

wwmmxxx Patented Apr. 25, 1939 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFIQE Originalapplication November 23, 1936, Serial No. 112,202. Divided and thisapplication May 5, 1937, Serial No. 140,806

10 Claims.

This invention relates to toy structural material and has for one of itsobjects to provide such material which can be made in a simple andexpeditious manner from plentiful inexpensive stock, such, for example,as cardboard, and preferably corrugated cardboard, so that a child canmake his own structural material and then assemble it as he may desire.

A further object is to produce toy structural material sturdy incharacter and'closely simulating in appearance and form steel structuralshapes.

A further object is to produce such toy material which can be reinforcedby elements which may be attached by screws, or the like, which may beengaged directly with the toy shapes.

A still further object is to provide means by which the structuralmembers may be connected together in a simple and secure manner, and invarious of selected arrangements.

For a more complete understanding of this invention, reference may behad to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a perspective viewof structural material of this invention made in the form of an I beam.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of such a beam and showing theapplication to its end of fabric reinforcements.

Figures 3, 4 and 6 are perspective views of certain attaching elements.

Figure 5 is an exploded perspective showing mating ends of pieces of thestructural material provided with the attaching elements of Figures 3and 4.

ing also the use of an element such as is illustrated separately inFigure 6.

Figure 8 is a perspective view of another form of attaching element.

Figures 9 to 12, inclusive, are fragmentary perspective views showingvarious methods of securing together the individual elements ofstructural material of I section.

Figure 13 is a perspective View of a structure fabricated from varioustypes of structural material made in accordance with this invention.

Figure 14 is an exploded perspective view showing structural'membersprovided with other forms of attaching elements.

Figure 15 is a view partly in section and partly in elevation showing afurther type of joint between attached members.

Figure 16 is an exploded perspective of the parts shown in Figure 15.

Figures 17 and 18 are cross sectional views Figure '7 is a view similarto Figure 5, but showshowing further constructions of structuralmembers.

Figure 19 is a detail section on line l9-'l9 of Figure 13.

This application is a division of my application Serial Number 112,202,filed November 23, 1936, for Toy structural material and methodof andmechanism for fabricating the same.

The structural material of this invention is built up from strips ofsheet material such as cardboard, or the like, one material particularlysuitablebecause of its lightness, stifiness, ease of handling,cheapness, and ready availability being corrugated cardboard such as iscommonly employed for the material of shipping cartons and whichordinarily is thrown away after it has served its purpose. Thisdiscarded material is an excellent source of supply for the structuralmaterial of this invention. It is cut in strips, preferably across thecorrugations, and for many shapes these strips may be of uniform widthsfor all parts. These strips are then secured together to simulatestructural shapes. For example, as shown in Figure 1, a plurality ofsuch strips are assembled and secured face to face with their side edgesco-terminous, and similar strips 2 are then secured overlying the sideedges of the strips I to form a structural member simulating an I beam.If one of these strips 2 is omitted, as shown in full lines in Figure17, a beam of T section is produced. It is also evident that beams ofother sections such as angles and Z bars may be formed by locating theweb-forming members I at the edge of one or more members 2 whichthereupon form flange elements. Preferably the strips are securedtogether by adhesive, sodium silicate having been found verysatisfactory, although glue, or the like, may be used if desired. Thesestructural'shapes may be cut and built up with great facility by theemployment of the devices shown and described in the parent applicationto which reference has heretofore been made.

Where the material employed for the making of these shapes is of lightweight and consequently thin, or where a particularly rigid beam isdesired, a plurality of strips may be secured in face to face relation,as shown in Figure 18, where an I beam is shown having three thicknessesof the strip material in the web and two thicknesses in each of theflanges. Where adhesive is used, it is preferable to maintain theassembled strips under pressure until the adhesive is set.

While adhesive securement of the strips is preferred, various othermethods of securing the strips may be employed, if desired, as shown,for

example, in Figures 9 to 12. In Figure 9 a metallic strip Ill bent tosurround the assembled fibrous strips is employed, this metallic stripbeing engaged about the outer faces of the fibrous strips and holdingthem in proper assembled relation.

In Figure 10 the flange elements 2 are shown as perforated for thereception of a securing metallic band I! which passes down on each sideof the central web l2, its ends being bent into overlapping relation.

In Figure 11 a single strip 13 having split ends I4 is employed, thisstrip passing through both the flange members 2 and the web member l2,and its ends being bent downwardly against the outer faces of the flangemembers 2.

In Figure 12 a Wooden dowel pin, such as I5, is shown as passed throughboth the web member i2 and the flange members 2 and secured in .posi-,tion as by glue.

In order to reinforce the end portions of the structural beams,reinforcing tape or cloth may be applied thereto as shown in Figure 2. Astrip of such cloth or tape 20, to the inner face of which adhesive hasbeen applied, may be placed across the end of the beam and its ends 2|brought back and secured to the outer faces of the flange elements 2.The strip of reinforcing sheet material may then be slit as at 22 andthe flaps 23 between the slits are then folded in against opposite sidesof the web and there secured as shown best in "Figures 5, '7 and 14. 1

The structural shapes may be secured to eac other in variousrelationships in the building of structures, and to facilitate this,attaching ele- 'ments of various constructions may be employed.

The ends of the beams are preferably slit through the reinforcingfabric,as shown'best, for example, at 25 in Figure "14 for the purpose ofreceiving the securing elements. Various forms of these securingelements are illustrated in Figures 3, 8, 14 and 16. As shown theseelements are strips of suitable material such as metal, narrower thanthe end of the beam, and which have end portions or shankslBQ which canbe thrust into the slotsin the ends of the beams and there secured as byadhesive or the like.

The fastening element shown in Figure 3 comprises a strip of uniformwidth including the shank 3b, and bent to .form an end flanges I, thisend flange, as well as the main portion of the strip adjacent thereto,being provided with screwreceiving perforationsSQ. For co-opera'tionwiththese elements, elements such as shown in .Figures 4 and 6 may beprovided. The elementshown in Figure 4 has a shank portion 33 perforatedas at 34 and provided with a looped end'35.

Figure 5 illustrates the ends of five difierent beams which can beassociated together by the use of the fastening elements shown"inFigures 3 and 4. One of the elements such as shown in Figure 4 issecured as by a bolt 35 to one of the elements of Figure 3, the loop 35forming a socket for the reception of the flange 31a of one of thebeams, while the flange 3 Eb may be bolted tothe shank 35c and theflange 310 may be bolted to the flange'ti. The flange 35d may be securedby the bolt 36.

Where it is desired to secure beams angularly related, a gusset plateso, shown detached'in Figure 6, may be employed. This gusset plate isshown as provided with three bolt openings #3! and 42, and Q3. The beams44 and 35 are pro vided with straight attaching pieces 26, each having apair of bolt holes therein and these are secured together and to thegusset plate 46 as by a bolt ii which passes through the hole 4| of thegusset plate. To the projecting end of this gusset plate, as througheither of the bolt holes 42 and 43, may be passed bolts engaging throughmating holes in a straight securing piece 49 projecting from the beam48.

In Figure 8 andalso in Figure 14, the attaching strips are shown ashaving their shank portions offset, this offset portion furnishing alimiting shoulder as at 59, which may be engaged with the beam ends andthus determine the amount to which they may be inserted into the beams.This provides an easy method of insuring the proper extensions of theseelements from the beams for co-operation with-elements of other beams.Also as is shown in Figure 14, two ofthese attaching elements, as 5!,have straight ends, each provided with apair of perforations as at 52,while the element 53 has a thickened laterally projecting flange :5provided with a threaded opening 55. This permits the use of screws forsecuring the parts together, the threaded opening 55 serving'to engagethe threads of the'screw in the same manher that a nut would do,butwith'out the possibility of loosening as in thecase of a separatenut. In Figure 8 a modification of this is shown in which a nut 69 isemployed, but this nut is held rigidly by the integral fingers 3! cutand bent up from the material of the securing strip :so that looseningof the nut and detachment from the element is prevented.

In Figures 15 and 15 are illustrated constructions where the beams aresecured at other angles relative to eachother. The beam 10 ofFigure 15is provided with a slot H longitudinally through its web portion for thereception of a securing element [2 projecting from the end ofthe web ofa mating beam 13. In Figure 16 theslot M .is ar ranged crosswise of theweb of the beam 15 and flanges 75 and ll of the beam 18 are cut awaysothat the web extension '59 may pass between the flanges of the beams 15and the ends of the .cut away flanges abut the sides of the flanges ofthe beam H! in Figure 15 and against the web in Figure 16. A suitablesecuring element such as a pin or match stick 120, or the like, ispassed through a perforation F2! in the securing strip 12.

One of the particular advantages of employing fibrous sheet material in.the fabrication of the structural material consists in the ability ofsuch material to directly take fastening elementssuch as screws, or thelike. For example, as shown in Figure 19, the screw 88 directly securesa single reinforcing or bracing strip M to the I beam 32. Both of theseparts may well be formed of the corrugated board.

Figure 13 shows a partial .assembly of various structural members whichmay be formed .of the corrugated board, braces 8| as shown. in Figure 19being employed and also bridging strips 33 are toys, the parts are sosturdy and light that they might be found useful also in the manufactureof crates for shipping or other purposes, and where unusual strength isdesired, the strips may be cut from fiber board or other similarmaterial and assembled as previously described.

From the foregoing description of certain embodiments of this invention,it should be evident to those skilled in the art that various otherchanges and modifications may be made, those shown being merelyillustrative, without departing from the spirit or scope of thisinvention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An element comprising strips of fibrous sheet material adhesivelysecured together to simulate a metallic structural beam, and reinforcingsheet material overlying end and side faces of said beam and adhesivelysecured thereto.

2. An element comprising strips of corrugated cardboard each havingouter fiat face plies and a corrugated ply therebetween, thecorrugations extending crosswise of said strips, a plurality of saidstrips being secured together face to face with their edgesco-terminous, such co-terminous edges presenting faces at least one ofwhich is adhesively securely to the side face of another strip tosimulate a metallic structural beam and a layer of reinforcing sheetmaterial overlying end and side faces of said beam and secured thereto.

3. An element comprising strips of corrugated cardboard each havingouter flat face plies and a corrugated ply therebetween, thecorrugations extending crosswise of said strips, a plurality of saidstrips being secured together face to face with their edgesco-terminous, such co-terminous edges presenting faces each of which isadhesively secured centrally to the side face of another strip tosimulate a metallic I beam structural member and a layer of reinforcingsheet material overlying end and side faces of said beam and securedthereto.

4. An element comprising a plurality of strips of sheet material securedto each other along their lengths to simulate a metallic structuralbeam, an end of said element having a layer of fabric overlying end andside faces of said beam and secured thereto.

5. An element comprising a plurality of strips of corrugated cardboardsecured to each other along their lengths to simulate a metallicstructural beam, an end of said element having a layer of fabric securedthereto.

6. An element comprising a plurality of strips of sheet material securedto eachother along their lengths to simulate a metallic structural beam,and a fastening strip having one end portion embedded in said elementand projecting therefrom, the projecting portion of said fastening stripbeing formed to receive means for securing a plurality of said elementstogether.

'7. A fibrous element shaped to simulate a metallic structural member, ametallic strip having a shoulder intermediate its ends, one end portionof said strip being embedded in said element with said shoulder engagingthe end thereof, the opposite end portion of said strip having one ormore holes therethrough for receiving a fastener for securing aplurality of such elements together.

8. A fibrous element shaped to simulate a metallic structural member, ametallic strip having a shoulder intermediate its ends, one end portionof said strip being embedded in said element with said shoulder engagingthe end thereof, the opposite end portion of said strip having alaterally arranged end flange perforated for the reception of a securingdevice by which a plurality of such elements may be secured together.

9. In combination, a plurality of structuralmember-simulating-elementseach having a strip extending from one end, one of said strips having anend flange laterally disposed and having an internally threadedaperture, and another of said strips having a plurality of holes througheither of which a screw may be extended and engaged in said aperture.

10. In combination, a plurality of structuralmember-simulating-elements,each having a strip extending from one end, one of said strips having aflattened loop into which an end of another of said member strips may beinserted, and means by which said looped end strip may be secured toanother of said strips.

ALAN F. HOWARD.

